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Toronto Mayor Rob Ford expected to make first public appearance since calling the Star drug video report “ridiculous.”

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford arrives in an elevator at Toronto City Hall on May 21, 2013. (Rene Johnston / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is being urged to make a statement about reports of a video that appears to show him smoking crack.
(Steve Russell / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

By Alex Ballingall and Marco Chown OvedStaff Reporters

Tues., May 21, 2013

There will be an elephant in the council chambers of City Hall on Tuesday — the scandal over a video that appears to show
Mayor Rob Ford
smoking crack.

After a long weekend of uncharacteristic silence, the mayor is due to appear for a
special meeting
on the fate of Toronto’s casino plans. It's his first public appearance since calling the Star report on the video that also appeared to show Ford making a homophobic reference “
ridiculous
.”

Ford will not be obliged to address the video at Tuesday’s meeting, but some councillors are calling for him to clear the air.

“I’m urging the mayor to make an unequivocal statement about the allegations and present his side,” said Councillor James Pasternak. “It is creating uncertainty in the leadership of the city. It is creating political instability, and the longer the questions keep coming, I think the more damaging it becomes.”

Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday, a Ford loyalist, said Monday evening that although the meeting has only one item on the agenda, the mayor will ultimately have to broach the issue. “I think he’s going to have to say more than he has, but he’ll have to decide for himself.”

Councillor Josh Matlow, a centrist on council, doesn't expect any of his collegues to hijack the meeting with drug scandal questions, but said the matter has proven to be an unwelcome distraction

“This is a surreal, bizarre vortex that the entire city’s been sucked into, with Rob Ford being the source of it,” he said. “I just feel embarrassed with what Toronto’s reputation is going through … I look forward to getting past it.”

Outside of council chambers, the video seemed to be on everyone’s lips as Torontonians enjoyed their long weekend.

The smoke from barbecues was thick in Morningside Park in the Ford stronghold of Scarborough Monday. Families gathered on blankets and folding chairs and were quick to offer their opinions on the video scandal.

“I think it’s fake,” said Oscar Polanco, a Colombian refugee who’s been settled in Toronto for five years. “It’s all political,” he said.

As proof of this, Polanco said he first heard of the Ford video when his daughter, who lives in Florida, called to say that it was being discussed on CNN. “What’s with your mayor?” she said. “Always the mayor.”

The fact Ford had already weathered so many previous scandals led others to believe the video must be real.

From exceeding campaign finance limits to soliciting donations for his personal charity on city letterhead; from a forgotten DUI charge in Florida to a denial that he drunkenly berated a couple during a hockey game, the video is just the latest in a long string of incidents, any one of which could have led to Ford being removed from office, said Andrew Jesudasan, who works in vehicle licensing.

“How many chances does he get?” Jesudasan said. “Anyone else in a regular job would have been laid off by now.”

Over in Thomson Memorial park, also in Scarborough, sentiments were similar. While some defended the mayor, others said his alleged actions were painting the whole city with bad brush.

“As citizens, it’s shameful because we’ve elected a man who should have better judgment — if the allegations are true,” said city maintenance worker Ian Hinds.

“It’s like raising my daughter,” she said. “If I don’t punish her for breaking the rules the first time, she’ll keep doing it.”

“I don’t care if you’re the Queen of England. There are ways of conducting yourself (when you’re in a position of power). If you don’t do it, the citizens who put you there should be able to get you out,” said Hinds.

Clarification: May 21, 2013:
This article was edited from a previous version that referred to Councillor Josh Matlow as a left-leaning councillor.

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